St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-03-05
The President Appealed to Regarding a
Fertile Section Lying in the DEVILS
Lake District,
Which Was Withdrawn From Settlement
by Commissioner Sparks Some
Time Ago.
Military Men Who Would Like to Be
Dakota's Brigadier
General.
Yesterdays Work in the Territorial
Council and House at
Bismarck.
Special to the Globe.

Commissioner Sparks has refused to allow
to be surveyed. The settlers in the vicinity
OF Devils Lake have been kicking vigor-
ously for long time for settlement of the
question, and, as last resort they have
decided to appeal directly to President
Cleveland To-day Representative Bid
lake, by request, introduced joint resolu-
ton and memorial to President Cleveland,
OF which the following is comprehensive
synopsis:
sioner has raised the question of the Indian
title to the land comprising the DEVILS Lake
land district and has prohibited further sur
veys 20 be made in said district, and has
made it impossible to file on land that was
surveyed shortly prior to the assumption of
his office, by withholding plats, and by
SO doing has retarded the development
OF the country and rendered precarious
and uncertain the rights of these who
have settled and made investments
upon the lands embraced within the late sur
yeyS, we desire that the question Of the title
OF the Chippewa tribe of Indians to the land
be decided at once by the proper legal
authority, and ask that the matter be, with
out delay, officially placed before the depart
ment of justice, that the question may be
speedily passed upon and settled as this
claim of Indian title is understood to be the
obstacle claimed by the honorable commits
sioner to stand in the way of further settle
ment and survey of this part of Dakota
This land is said by residents of that
country to be of excellent quality. and is
looked upon with eIlviouS eyes by settlers,
who are anxious to locate OH it but are
prevented from doing so by the decision of
Commissioner Sparks. The resolution will
undoubtedly pass both houses, but it is a
question whether it will have any benefi-
cial effect or not. There are some old
soldiers in the territory who hunger for
MILITARY HoNoRs,
and the Office of brgadier-general COM
manding the national guard. though an
honorary one. has more applicants than
any other office within the gift of the gov
ernor. Gen. Dennis is the present in
cumbent, he having been appointed by
Gov. Pierce, and he has filled the Office
with a great deal of credit to himself, but
he is sturdy Republican, and will, as
matter of reason, be obliged to step down
and out that man with heart throb-
bing in sympathy with the present
administration may fill his saddle and wear
the honors of his position. 1t is alleged
that the general does not take kindly to the
prospects OF having to give up his commits
sion, and bill has shown up so cleverly
drawn that if it became law the COM
mander OF national guard of Dakota could
hold his Office four years and appoint his
staff, and have control of S12, 600
of the territorial funds in defiance
OF the governor. This bill was
spotted by the governor, and if its passage
is urged in its present shape there is prob
ability that Gen. Dennis will suffer decapi-
tation. The governor proposes to hold ter
ritorial affairs well in hand, and naturally
enough will resent any act that tends to
wrest the power of control of the territorial
militia from him. In fact, there is at pres
ent no need of brigader general in the
territory, as the militia is young
In organization and Is not as
yet up i'll battalion drill, not to
say anything about brigade. 1t will be at
least three years. according to good author.
ity, before the Dakota National guard will
be prepared to begin brigade drill, and
until that time, if there is need of a brig
adler general to command. one can easily
be found and appointed on short notice.
Yet it is hardly probable that the Office will
be abolished.
ROUTINE WORK.
Outside of the consideration of the local
option billthe council did considerable work
to day and passed four bills, making appro-
priatOns for as many homes for suffering
and destitute soldiers. The locations were
Hot Springs, Pierre, Frankfort and Wahpe-
ton. Each of these was endowed with an
appropriation of S25. 0GO. aggregating
100000. The object in passing so many
of these bills was to insure the killing Off
by veto by the governor of the whole
batch. DR.. Collins railroad bill was made
special order for Tomorrow The council
passed the following bills:
IeUaliZinp advertisements n fOracIOc,,ra
proceedings which were published only six
times instead of seven times, as of late re-
CURED by the courts; approprating S491 to
pay for tents and damages to same at the
Fargo encampmeDt in 1885.
The following bills were introduced:
Weller. relating to irregating bitches; Mar
tin. relating to a normal school at Madison;
Foster, authorizing city councils to issue
bonds; Collins, providing for insurance
against hal! and the mode of insurin Gallo
way, to define certain fees of sheritfs in the
foreclosure of mortgages; Cain, to legalize
defective certificates of discharges of mort
cages: Foster. providing for civil townships
to surrender and make void their organization.
1t was one Of the quietest days yet passed
IN THE HOUSE.
! This body was in committee of the whole
nearly all the afternoon, considering va
riOus bills of more or less Importance. The
woman suffrage bill was made special
order for tomorrow afternoon. Adams
railroad bill created considerable discussion
and the committee finally recommended
that it pass. An effort was made to get
the bill abolshng the office of commits
sioner of immigration favorably reported,
but it failed. The bill is dead letter
The bill creating the counties of Church
and Pierce was passed. The following
bills were introduced:
Wyman, an act for the qualification of
township and county officers; Dodds, an
act to regulate grain warehouses and the in
spection, weighing and handling Of grain
and defining the duties of railroad commits
sloners relating thereto; Reyer. an act
authorizing the closing of barber shops on
Sunday. TEE AITCH.